Mikel Arteta has admitted that he takes full ‘responsibility’ over Mesut Ozil’s struggle at Arsenal.
The 32-year-old appears to be on his last legs in North London after Arteta left him out of this season’s revised Premier League squad.
Ozil hasn’t played a competitive match for Arsenal since March, before the 2019-20 campaign was temporarily suspended.
He made a couple of appearances on the bench during Project Restart, but a mysterious back injury put paid to Arsenal fans’ hopes of seeing him in the Premier League or on the road to their FA Cup title.
The former Real Madrid and Germany star admitted on Twitter that he was ‘deeply disappointed’ after being left out of the squad this week.
But Arteta has refused to be drawn into a war of words, suggesting that he’s to blame for being unable to get 100 percent out of the player.
He told the club’s official website: “Honestly, I take full responsibility. I have to be the one getting the best out of the players. It’s my responsibility.”
This is very big of Arteta and all but, really, the fault lies with Ozil.
The Arsenal boss can’t get 100 percent out of players who aren’t willing to give that in the first place and although Ozil’s a frighteningly-talented footballer, there has long been questions over his attitude, hunger and application.
He found himself frozen out under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery, too. The difference, it seems, is that Arteta isn’t willing to stand for it.
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